WinXP Update Disaster

[Jozone]

A friend called me last week looking for some help installing some new programs. He tells me he bought Offfice 2003 Academic, but it wont install.

So I go over there today thinking its no real problem (and that he doesnt know what hes talking about).

Upon inserting the disc and the setup starting, I get a dialog that says it cannot install because there was a previous service pack install error. So Im thinkin O-K time for updates. Goto windows updates, and for some reason or another it simply wouldn't start. I had sp2 exe install however on my laptop so I burned it.

So the SP2 install is going great until its finalizing. I suddenly get a "Windows Installer" error type message. So at this point Im pretty pissed, decide to give it a reboot.

Boot up, choose his logon, get a "windows cannot verify the license" for ONLY his logon, the others work fine. So at that point I said Im leaving, and we can do this on Saturday.

So basically Im looking for a game plan Saturday. It seems to me like his overall installation of windows is messed up.

On a related note - if I choose to 'repair' a Windows installation, will that delete any information/registry? His primary concern is not losing his pictures or email. I will probably copy the HD prior to messing around with it.

Any advice would be great!
-Thanks!

 

[devourment77]

just mount the ntfs partition w/ a linux box.. copy the his documents and settings folder over to linux box.. reinstall windows on his computer.. then copy over the items from your linux box over to his fresh install windows box.

 

[Smack19]

The 'repair' option won't delete his pictures/music. Also if its just his login messed up you might wanna try backing up his profile, removing it and then recreating it.

 

[djnes]

Yep, I'd ghost the machine, and then blow away his profile and re-create it.